These 25 Pennsylvania counties are under a drought watch. What does it mean?

Erie County has been placed under a drought watch by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Drought Task Force.

In a statement, the Drought Task Force said that due to the little rain Pennsylvania received over the summer, residents should be aware of the dry conditions and be mindful of water use.

With the Task Force monitoring the long-term trends, a watch has been issued since it would take more than a severe thunderstorm or rainy week to lift the drought status.

What is a drought watch?

According to the Drought Task Force, a drought watch is declared for counties that meet three out of the four factors in a watch status. The drought declarations are based on the following four factors:

• Precipitation,
• stream flows,
• groundwater levels,
• and soil moisture.

These factors are measured closely with the U.S. Geological Survey which monitors these indicators in close partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey over three months.

In a drought watch, residents are encouraged, but not required, to voluntarily reduce personal water use by 5-10%.

If the status worsens, the watch will become a warning and residents will be encouraged, but again not required, to reduce water use by 10-15%.

If conditions ever become more severe, the counties in Pennsylvania could be placed under a drought emergency, in which water restrictions could be implemented and water suppliers or municipal governments will guide residents about water use.

What counties are under a drought watch?

The following counties in Pennsylvania have been placed under a Drought Watch along with Erie County:

• Beaver
• Bradford
• Butler
• Cambria
• Cameron
• Clarion
• Clearfield
• Clinton
• Crawford
• Elk
• Forest
• Indiana
• Jefferson
• Lawrence
• Lycoming
• McKean
• Mercer
• Potter
• Schulykill
• Somerset
• Tioga
• Venango
• Warren
• Washington

How can I help during the drought watch?

Although restrictions are not implemented, Pennsylvania and Erie County residents can help measures by limiting and reducing residential nonessential water use.

These uses include running the dishwasher and washing machines less, shortening shower times, checking households for leaks, installing low-flow plumbing fixtures and replacing older appliances with high efficiency, front-loading models that use about 30 percent less water and 40 to 50 percent less energy.

More tips can be found on epa.gov/watersense/start-saving.

How much rain did Erie County receive this summer?

From June to September, which is the meteorogical summer, the National Weather Service states Erie County received 9.50 inches of rain.

• June: 4.98 inches
• July: 1.85 inches
• Aug: 2.67 inches
• Sept: 1.92 inches.

Compared to an average Erie summer, the weather service said this is .88 inches below a normal summer.

Drought watch does not impact Erie Water Works customers

Craig Palmer, CEO of Erie Water Works, said that if you are an Erie Water Works customer, this drought watch does not impact you or your water services.

“I would caution everyone to think this means the entirety of Erie County,” Palmer said. “We are not under any drought watch conditions for the Erie Water Authority. That means we (Erie Water Works) are not under any water shortages for our direct customers within our water system. This is geared towards other people who are not under community water systems who have their own wells.”

Does this mean you should go and take an hour long shower? Palmer said be considerate and conservative and use water wisely.

“Even though we look out at the lake and see this plentiful water source, it’s still important that we use water wisely,” Palmer said. “We don’t want to waste it unnecessarily and just want to be mindful on how we use it, and what we use it for, and really only using what we need.”

Palmer says that from being involved in the commonwealth’s State Water Plan and other water-related committees, he’s often seen Erie County placed under a drought watch, and being aware of the watch is important to help the timing of precautionary measures or direction.

Stay up to date on Erie-area weather

Erie residents are encouraged to keep up to date with the current forecast as it could change at any given notice.

Get the latest AccuWeather forecast details and radar images for your ZIP code at goerie.com/weather. Download the GoErie app for iOS or Android for mobile-friendly forecasts. Tour Erie-area conditions by webcams.